cottage pie

Pink.

Hi loobyloo,

If you prefer to use beef then it's cottage pie recipes that you need. I make mine by dry frying the minced beef, with an onion. Then add in chopped carrots and swede then sliced mushrooms some beef stock, lots of black pepper and worcester sauce. Simmer until the veg are cooked and thicken with a little cornflour mixed in cold water if necessary. Transfer to an oven proof dish, top with creamy mashed potato and heat in the oven until the potato begins to brown.

There's an earlier thread with lots more recipes that may help:

cottage pie

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the replies together.

Pink

loobyloo2

Oooh, thanks you two, that was a quick reply. They both sound delish, though as much as I love mushrooms,I would be leaving them out when the kids are eating with me.
Does the worcestershire sauce give it a real beefy flavour? This is what I would really like.

lappish22

loobyloo2 wrote: »

Oooh, thanks you two, that was a quick reply. They both sound delish, though as much as I love mushrooms,I would be leaving them out when the kids are eating with me.
Does the worcestershire sauce give it a real beefy flavour? This is what I would really like.

Yeh - I always leave the mushrooms out,(kids are fussy, lol!) but the worcestershire sauce does add flavour!

Bronnie

Frying the mince and veg in batches over a high heat to well-browned first then draining before adding to the dish... always helps with flavour.

A lot of people tend to skip this these days!

cakemaker

Worcester Sauce is the key (in my opinion)
loads of milk in mash to make it soft

SDH

wizz the mushrooms up in the liquidiser and then add them ...... kids will never know - honest!

Jue_xx

lappish22 wrote: »

I always make the Gordon Ramsay one. Best one I've tasted so far! Its easy too! Here is the link if anyone would like to try it.....
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/gordon-ramsay/shepherds-pie-recipe_p_1.html

I always used lean mince beef, not lamb though!

Hey, I always use this recipe too, it's definately the best I've found!

no.1swimmum

I always add a good slurp of redwine to the gravy I make for mine, unfortunatly my youngest is not a lover of minced beef or lamb, and have recently been making mine with Green Lentils, cooked in vegetble stock until soft and drained then add fried onion, peas, mix veg (really anything I have) gravy, and of course the red wine. I top with Mash with cheese in and then a bit more sprinkled ontop, we also like with mashed sweede (can be mixed with potato) and mashed sweet potato.

On a seperate note I had the best gravy at my Mums over Christmas, just bisto instant to which she added an oxo cube, mixed with hot water and then added a good 2 tablespoon brandy and some cream for good measure, my boys don't really like gravy but soon ate this up!!!!

NJW69

To feed four I would use a pound of lean minced steak. Dry fry with a large chopped onion and two carrots diced small and a chopped stick of celery. Cook well and add, salt, white pepper, black pepper, worcestershire sauce and gravy granules (I use a mixture of vegetable and meat ones). Bubble away until all soft and then transfer to a oven proof dish.

For the mash, peel and chop some potatoes and boil them in salted water. When they are soft, drain and then leave them in the pan with the lid on and the heat off and they continue to steam. Then mash thoroughly and add a knob of butter and some cream and plenty of salt and pepper. The steaming makes them more fluffy. Top the meat with the mash and run a fork over the top to make ridges so that you get a crispy topping. You could add grated cheese as well if you like.

I make some sliced onion pickles to go with it.

loobyloo2

SDH wrote: »

wizz the mushrooms up in the liquidiser and then add them ...... kids will never know - honest!

Mmm, I see what you're saying, but...... if they need to be blitzed beyond regognition, I don't see the point in wasting some good mushrooms that you can't taste in the meal. Always serve extra veg on the side though, so they are not going short.
The mushrooms can be for me at Saturday brunch:D